The fire scene was not much different from what he had seen so far. The firefighters who got out of their cars at the sight of the rising flames dispersed in unison to find their own work.
Grayson quickly looked around and hurried over to Dane, who was gathering his equipment.
“Dane, what should I do?”
He spoke to him, expecting him to tell him what to do like last time, but Dane didn’t even look at him, let alone answer. Grayson could only stare blankly at his back as he turned away, holding an axe in one hand and a helmet in ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) the other.
DeAndre, who had seen them from a distance, frowned and spoke.
“What happened? Did those guys fight or something?”
Ezra glanced at him and then quickly returned to his work.
“Now is not the time to worry about that.”
“Huh? Uh... That’s right.”
DeAndre was embarrassed by Ezra's usual cold tone and hurriedly started working on him. However, even in the midst of all that, there was an uneasy feeling in his heart.
Everyone who was there had seen Dane's fury the last time. He had been audited several times and even visited the police. The reporters were so excited that they poured out trashy articles, and public opinion also worsened. However, the situation quickly turned around. It was revealed that the man who had been assaulted had actually killed his wife and abandoned her body, and had tried to hide the crime by setting fire to the house after the child died from abuse.
The reason he did not abandon the child's body was because, unlike his adult wife, he was not old enough to leave the house on his own. He had no choice but to set fire because he was afraid that the neighbors would report him if he suddenly didn't see the child. He tried to pretend that the child had been playing with fire while he was at work and started the fire, but the world was not as easy as he thought.
When the truth was revealed, people changed and started praising Dane, saying things like, “As expected, he was a firefighter, a fist of justice.”, “It would have been better if he had killed him then. He’s so kind, because he’s a firefighter.”, “This is worthy of commendation. Give our hero an award.” Thanks to that, the investigation and the audit were hushed up, and in the end, it was as if it had never happened. However, the chief couldn’t just bury the incident.
“We have to control Dane well so that something like that doesn’t happen again.”
The words of advice given to Wilkins spread to the other staff members through him. Everyone was nervous that Dane might do something dangerous again. That’s why they kept an eye on him, and naturally, his relationship with Grayson also came into focus.
This time, DeAndre, who was looking back and forth between the two in confusion, quickly turned his attention back at Ezra’s urging.
He made a big fuss about dating and what happened, but what happened?
He had always had bad feelings for Grayson, so he would have welcomed this situation, but since Dane was in a bad mood, he felt uncomfortable. He had been feeling guilty for being too harsh to Grayson Miller, so he couldn’t help but think more.
He sighed and quickly pulled himself together to focus on what was in front of him. This was a battlefield. If he let his guard down, something could happen.
Yes, just like now.
“Deandre, get out of the way...!”
Someone shouted. Soon after, Deandre saw a large tree coming towards him and stopped moving.
What should I do?
Grayson was burning with anxiety. No matter what he said or did, Dane wouldn’t look at him. Was it going to end like this? Why on earth did I do that back then? With what confidence?
The distance between Dane and me, whom I thought I had become somewhat close to, had grown further than when I first met him. It might be irreversible now. If that happens, if everything ends like this.
What would happen to me?
Just imagining it made my head spin. This was different from the feeling of being ‘scary.’ What I felt for the first time was a feeling similar to the ground beneath my feet collapsing and falling endlessly. My fingertips were numb, so I clenched and unclenched my fists several times.
How, how could I.
That was when I saw a large tree falling toward someone.
Grayson couldn’t tell who it was. All he knew for sure was that it wasn’t Dane. However, a single ray of hope flashed through his mind at that moment. Just as I had saved Dane’s cat before, if I were to save someone again... ... !
“Miller, it’s dangerous!”
He heard an urgent cry. But Grayson had already jumped toward him.
It wasn’t an altruistic act at all. It was far from saving someone or risking his life to save others. It was just an action for the sole purpose of winning Dane’s heart back.
The only hope was that Dane would look at me again.
A thunderous roar echoed throughout the area. The burnt wood barely brushed Grayson’s body and hit the ground. DeAndre’s eyes widened in thought, his whole body shaking. He couldn’t believe it. Miller saved me? Grayson Miller, really?
“Miller! DeAndre!”
“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“Oh my god, what’s going on......”
His colleagues came running from here and there, chattering anxiously. But DeAndre still couldn’t come to his senses. He was shocked by the fact that he might have been crushed by a burning tree and that the person who saved his life was Grayson Miller.
His colleagues, who had forced DeAndre to stand up, who was dumbfounded and unable to continue speaking, showered Grayson with praise this time.
“Miller, you’re amazing. You did such an amazing job!”
“I’ve been misunderstanding you all this time. You really were our teammate.”
“Miller, no, Grayson! You’re a hero. You’ve already saved lives twice...!”
He was praised here and there, but Grayson didn’t hear a single word. The reason he risked his life was not to receive such praise that was swept up in this atmosphere. He only wanted Dane to see him, and that was all.
Dane was not among the gathered men. He wasn’t even seen among the men who had patted Grayson on the shoulder and disappeared. Of course. He hadn’t even paid attention to Grayson in the first place.
“Ha.......”
Grayson let out a sigh that was almost a sigh. He saw Dane standing in the distance, spraying water at the flames. Despite the huge commotion, he didn’t even pay attention to him. He just kept repeating the tasks given to him as if nothing had happened.
Only then did Grayson realize what he was feeling.
“Good job, Dane.”
“Goodbye, everyone worked hard today.”
After giving a routine greeting, Dane left the locker room and headed to the parking lot. As he walked habitually, he suddenly saw someone standing next to his car. There was no need to check. There was probably only one man that big in the area.
Tsk, Dane clicked his tongue silently and took out his car key and pressed the button. The car’s headlights briefly lit up with a short beep.
“Dane.”
He opened his mouth to Dane, who was trying to open the door as he passed him. And Grayson Miller repeated the same thing he had been saying all along.
“I’m sorry, I was wrong.”
Dane sat in the driver’s seat without responding. He was about to close the door when Grayson suddenly said something unexpected.
“I know you won’t love me forever.”
Dane paused for a moment. When he looked up, Grayson smiled with his lips curled up in the way he had always seen him do.
“Is this despair?”
He didn’t ask what it felt like. A man who was happy even with the feeling of despair. Dane silently looked up at him and quietly closed the car door. And the car quickly left the parking lot and entered the road. Dane quickly drove away, leaving Grayson behind, who seemed to be standing there forever.
